As in teaching humans, teaching dogs can also be an art. To take teaching dogs to that higher level, below are some keys concepts:

TIMING The timing of corrections AND praise (reinforcement) MUST be impeccable. It is TOO late to correct or praise if the dog is not doing what you want to reinforce. Reinforcement MUST happen AS the behaviour is happening. If Poochie has pooped on the floor and then you find him chewing a bone, it is way too late to correct for pooping on the floor!

When it comes to our beloved pets, many people don’t like to set too many limits. Even the most strict of pet owners will usually admit that they like to spoil their pet sometimes, and of course, a little spoiling is okay.

However when not enough limits are set, several problems can arise. Firstly, the fact that a dog who is allowed “carte blanche” is often a dog who causes aggravation and is not enjoyed as much as those who respect their boundaries. And speaking of respect, dogs who don’t have household rules they’re expected to follow regularly are far more likely to disregard other rules because they are less respectful of their owners overall.

The Proverbial Rolled up Newspaper

FreeDogTrainingInfo.com

Remember the rolled up newspaper? Used by our parents, grandparents and those before them, this was the accepted method of correcting one’s dog for any infraction. Perhaps you yourself have used a rolled up newspaper, either to whack the dog, or to whack your hand, making a corrective noise.

There are several problems with this method. First is that it can cause your dog to become ‘hand shy’. Even if you’ve never actually hit your dog with your hand (and even if you’ve only used the paper to make a noise), this can cause your dog to flinch when you make sudden movements. Since most people see the importance of not making their dog fearful, and certainly don’t want him to act as if they beat him, this is something to avoid for that reason alone.